US1141440A - Insulated rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

B. G. BRANE.

iNSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION men JAN. 15. 1915.

Patented June 1, 1915,

Z SHEETS-SHEET1- B. G. BRAINE.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6. 1915.

l 9 1&1 AAO Patented June 1, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2.

CIIIuzuul pair stratus Parana ouuion.

' Bnncnor'r c. BRAINE, or new roan, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL 301m comrnnr,

or NEW YQRK, n. Y, ACOREORATION on NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

llJMLIlAlALil.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June fl, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BANCROFT Gr. BRAINE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at for thoroughly insulating a rail joint in such a manner as to dispense with rail head insulation, that is with the insulating material ordinarily placed between the top edges of the splice bars and the under sides of the rail heads.- This feature of improvement will therefore obviate the use of insulation at the point where the same is subject to the greatest wear, and will consequently materially increase the life of the joint as an insulator, besides providing economical conditions for maintenance and repair.

The invention also contemplates a novel construction which provides, not onlyan improvement in the distribution of the insulating material, but also an improvement in the mechanical features of the joint whereby the same shall possess the requisite stiffness and strength,'with a minimum use of insulation. Furthermore, from both the electrical and mechanical standpoints, the improvement involves a construction which permits the base section of insulation to extend the full length of the joint, thus safeguarding the insulation of the joint throughout at the base, at the same time contributing a desirable mechanical feature in the particular of relieving the considerable rigidity and stifi'ness of an all-metal construction for one end of the joint, and providing uniformity of flexibility throughout.

With these and other objects in view which will be appreciated and recognized by'those familiar with the art as the nature of the invention is understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of structural modifications, and are applicable to various kinds of oints, without departing from the scope thereof, but a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of an insulated rail joint embodying the novel features of construction contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2'is a side elevation thereof with the joint bar removed to expose the preferable form of insulation employed. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the joint on the line 33 of Fig. 1, that is through the completely insulated end of the joint. Fig. 4 is a similar view through the non-insulated end of the joint, on the line H of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures throughout the drawings.

The features of improvement constituting the present invention are not limited in their application to any particular type of rail joint and hence are available for use with fish plates, angle bars, channel bars, or any of the divers forms of splices which extend across the joint between the meeting ends of the rails, but for purposes of illustration there is shown in the drawings a joint bar of the continuous type.

According to the requirements of the pres-- ent invention, it is necessary to provide a construction and arrangement of parts whereby each joint bar shall be in electrical contact with the head of one rail and shall have an air-gap insulation from the head of the other rail, in combination with other suitably disposed insulating material to complete the insulation of the joint. Different forms of construction may be employed to maintain this air-ga insulation for one end portion of the joint ar and an electrical contact between the remaining portion of the bar and one rail, but the same is well exemplified by the embodiment shown. lieferring to this embodiment, the rail joint includes the separate rails 1 and 2 which are respectively the leaving rail and the rece ving rail, a pair of oppositely arranged oint bars'3, and the usual joint bolts 4. Each of the joint bars 3 shown in this form of construction is rolled, or otherwise formed at one side of the transverse center thereof,

with a full-height supporting splice member having a bearing head 6 at its upper edge.

tact with the under side of the head of the receiving rail, and therefore represents one means of providing electrical communication or electrical contact between the bar and one rail. It will also be observed that the said bearing head 6 of each joint bar is spaced from the web of the rail in the conventional manner to admit of the usual adjustments of the bar. I

The remaining portion of each joint bar is formed with atruncated'splice member 7, That is, one portion of each splice bar has a truncated characteristic in the sense of being cut off or cut down at the top, as indicated by the reference numeral 8, so that the bar is narrowed or reduced in height throughout that part which is applied to the leaving rail. The truncation, or reduction in height, of the splice member 7 is of a sufficient extent so that said top edge portion 8 of each joint bar is spaced a material distance from the under side of the rail head in order that there may be no metal or electrical contact therewith. By reason'of thus spacing the top edges 8 of the joint bars from the under sides of the head of the leaving rail, an electrically insulating air-gap 9 is provided at these points, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, said air-gap effectually preventing electrical communication between the top edges of the truncated splice members 7 and the head of the leaving rail.

The truncation or reduction in height of the splice member 7 of each bar may be accomplished in any suitable manner. For instance, this may be done by planing oil the head of the bar for approximately one half of the joint, or the same result can be effected through a bull-dozing operation. Or, in fact, the -bar may be readily rolled in the passes of rolling mills, leaving the same with an ofl'set 10 at an intermediate part of its upper edge so as to produce the bearing head 6 for one portion of the bar, and to leave the truncation or depressed edge 8 at the top of the remaining portion of the bar, so that the air-gap 9 may be provided.-

It is by reason of this structural characteristic of each joint bar that rail head insulation may be entirely omitted from between the top edges of the joint bars and the under sides of the heads of both rails.

In a joint possessin'gthe mechanical features referred to, the insulationthereof may be accomplished in a thorough manner by confining the insulating material to one of the rail ends. The pre erable way of doing this is shown in the accompanying drawings, and resides in employing side insulation plates 11 interposed betweenthe web of the leaving rail and the truncated splice members 7. Each side insulation plate 11 is continued at its upper edge to a point at or slightly above the top edges 8 of the joint bars as indicated at 12, and it will here be observed that each of the joint bars is provided along the inner side of its top edge portion 8 with an inwardly projecting inside abutment rib 13 adapted to contact with the adjacent edge portions 12 of the insulation plate 11. This provides a clamping or holding means for the side insulation at this point, and also provides a bracing or holding point for the upper edges of the truncated splice members, so that the latter may be clamped tightly in place and the joint bolts kept tight.

With the type of joint bar shown in the illustration, the side insulation plates 11 have formed integrally therewith the base insulation plates 14:, which are preferably in the form of cufi's or sleeves embracingthe rail base flanges. In this connection, a desirable and practical feature is to have the base insulation plates 14 coextensive with the length of the joint, so that they will not only cover and insulate the flanges of the leaving rail, but will also cover the base flanges of the receiving rail. Such construction safeguards the insulation of the joint throughout at the base, but primarily performs the mechanical function of cushioning extensions (14$) which relieve the rigidity and stiffness of the non-insulated metal-to-metal construction at the receiving rail-end of the joint, thereby providing uniformity of flexibility throughout the joint without sacrificing any of the requisite stiffness and strength thereof.

The insulation of the joint described may be completed in any conventional manner. For instance, in the construction shown it is only necessary to combine with the side in-'. sulation plates 11-11 the. insulating end post 15 between the meeting ends of the rails, and suitable .bolt insulation, as for instance the insulating sleeves and washers 16 and 17 associated with the head and nut portions of the bolts extending through the. leaving rail and the truncated splice members 7. In this form of construction, metal backing washers, 18 are usually interposed between the heads and nuts of the bolts and the insulating Washers 17.

A further feature of practical importance that may be utilized in carryingforward the invention is to have the insulating airgap 9 of greater extent than one half the length of the joint, so as to cross the center of the joint at the meeting ends of the rails. This is provided for by having the ofi-set 10 at the top edge of the bar located to one side of the vertical transverse center of the bar. This results in a construction wherein a portion of the head of the joint bar has a direct electrical contact with the head of one rail, while the balance of the head portion of the bar has an electrically insulating lactate air gap spacing from the heads of both rails.

. gered of the joint at the center, at which point short -.circuiting or current leakage sometimes occurs, due to wear of the insulating end post or other causes.

arious modifications of the invention .may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, and in that connection it Will of course be understood that the insulation plates may be in separate pieces instead of integral and that the improvement can be readily adapted to stagand the insulation at opposite sides of the rails have a reversed relation. this will be apparent to those familiar with the art,

without illustration, as well as the fact that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

, 1. An insulated rail joint including in combination with the rails, a joint bar in electrical contact with the head of one rail and having an air-gap insulation from the head of the other rail.

2. An insulated rail joint including in combination with the rails, a joint bar in electrical contact with the head of one rail and having an air-gap insulation beneath the head of the other rail, and insulation 'between the bar and the rail flanges.

3. An insulated rail joint including in combination with the rails, a joint bar in electrical contact. with the head of one rail and having an air-gap insulation beneath the head of the other rail, and insulation between the bar and the flange of. the latter rail.

4. An insulated rail joint including in combination with the rails, a joint bar having an electrical bearing contact with the ead of one rail and having an electrically insulating air-gap spacing from the head of the other rail, and electrical base insulation extending along both rails.

5. An insulated rail joint includin in combination with the rails, a joint bar aving an electrical bearing contact with the head of one rail and having an electrically insulating air-gap spacing from the head of the other rail, and electrical insulation for the bases of both rails.

6. An insulated rail joint including, in. combinationwith the rails, a jointbar, a portion of the head of said bar having a direct electrical contact with the head of one rail and the balance of said head having an electrically insulating air gap spacing from the head of the other rail, and insulating material at the side of the joint 7. An insulated rail joint including, in

or cross insulation wherein the bars.

a combination, the rails,

combination with the rails, a joint bar, a portion ofthe head of said bar having a direct electrical contact with the head of one rail and the balance of said head having an electrically insulating air-gap spacing from the head of the other rail, and insulating magerial between the joint bar and the rail we.

8. An insulated rail joint including, in

combination With the rails, a joint bar, a portion of the head of said bar having a direct electrical contact with the head of one rail and the balance of said head having an electrically insulating air-gap spacing from the head'of the other rail, and base insulation for the rail flanges. 9. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, the rails, a joint bar having an air-gap insulation between its top edge and the head of one rail, and insulating material at the side of said bar.

10. An insulated rail combination, the rails, a joint bar having an air-gap insulation between its top edge rail and an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail, and insulation at the side of said bar.

12. An insulated rail combination, the rails, a joint bar having a direct metal contact with the head of one rail and an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail, and insulating material between the joint bar and the rail web.

13. An insulated rail joint including, in a joint bar having a direct metal contact with the head of one railand an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail, and insulation between the bar and the rail web and base.

14. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, the rails, a joint bar having a full-height splice member directly engaging the head of one rail and a truncated splice member having an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail to leave ,an intervening air-gap, and side insulation for the truncated splice member.

15. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, the rails, a joint bar having a full-height splice member directly engagmg the head of one rail and a truncated splice member having an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail to leave an mtervening air-gap, and insulation between tht;J truncated splice member and the rail we 16. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, the rails, a joint bar having one portion directly engaging the head of one rail and a truncated portion having an joint including, in

a joint bar having joint including, in

air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail and provided with aninside abutment rib, and side insulation for the said truncated portion of the bar.

17. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, the rails, a joint bar having one portion directly engaging the head of one rail and a truncated portion having an one portion directly engaging the head of one rail and a truncated portion having an air-gap clearance from the head of the other rail and provided at its inner upper edge portion with an inside abutment rib, and side insulation plates engaged by said rib.

19. An insulated rail joint including, in

' combination with the rails, a joint bar, a

portion of the head of said bar having 'a direct electrical contact with the head of one rail and the balance of the head portion of said bar having an electrical insulating airgap spacing from .the heads of both rails, and insulating material at the side of the joint bar.

In testimonywhereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BANCROFT' G. BRAINE.

Witnesses:

BENJ. A. WOLHAUPTER,

KATHERINE MCNALLY.

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